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Planting your Profile Garden

How can you enjoy even fresher vegetables? By growing them yourself! Planting your own veggies is an easy way to save money and stay on track with healthy eating. You’ll get fresh, seasonal produce – plus the satisfaction that comes with growing your own food.

If you’re just getting started in the garden, review these quick pointers for planting your own Profile-friendly plot.

Plan Before Planting

If you’re a veteran gardener, you know what it takes to set-up a healthy garden. But if it’s your first time, you might need a few tips:

– Start small. If you’ve never gardened, you might have trouble gauging how much to plant or the amount of time you’re willing to commit to your garden. Remember, you can always expand next year. For now, avoid planting too much too soon.

– When purchasing seeds, keep in mind that tomatoes, squash and peppers will provide throughout the growing season, so you may not need as many plants.

– On the other hand, some plants (onions, carrots, corn, etc.) only produce once. You may need to plant more of these, or plant them throughout the growing season.

Picking your Plot

When picking a planting spot, make sure it’s in full sun and close to a water source for easy watering during dry spells. You may want to consider using raised beds for your garden; this way you can avoid digging up your yard, and the soil will drain better.

If you’re planting larger crops such as lettuce or melons, make sure to plant in rows at least 18 inches apart. For smaller plants, you can tighten the rows, fitting more crops in less space.

What to Plant and When

Different vegetables thrive at different times. While some crops can tolerate a light frost, others can be much more sensitive. The key thing to consider is your area’s average last spring frost date.

Select your location, and you’ll see average frost dates pulled from past weather data. To be safe, choose the 10 percent date (this means you’ll only have a 10 percent chance of encountering frost after this date).

Once you find your date, use this quick guide to determine what to plant when: